9 Yoga Poses For Relieving Shoulder Tension

Amanda SiveJanuary 26, 20140

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Yoga is, in my book, the best way to relieve tension anywhere in the
body or mind. Yoga, when practiced regularly, relaxes muscle tension
(and in the process, also strengthens your now relaxed muscles). Here
are a list of poses that will help relieve tension around the shoulder
area:

Balasana (Child’s Pose)

Child’s
pose is a very good way to start a practice. It's also an excellent rest
pose during a vigorous flow.

Come to your hands and knees, press your hips back into your heels. Open
the knees a little and then rest your belly and chest on your thighs;
arms beside you and palms up. Allow your shoulders to melt downward.
This is a gentle way to start warming up the shoulders.

Bharadvajasana I (Seated Twist)

Sit upright with your legs extended in front of you. Now bend the legs
to the left and tuck the heels in next to the left hip. Draw a breath in
and turn your shoulders to the right.

The idea here is to stay gently grounded in the sit bones while
extending the spine upward. Lift as you inhale and turn as you exhale.
Keep your gaze over your right shoulder. Try to keep your shoulders at
the same height, and keep your neck soft. Your chin should be in
neutral, but if you want an added stretch, you can tuck the chin. Hold
for a few breaths and then come back to center. Tuck your heels next to
the right hip and turn the other way.

Supta Baddha Konasana (Reclining Bound Angle Pose)

This is a wonderful pose and I often use it in both my yin and vinyasa
(yang) classes. This pose offers a stretch across the chest and release
in the shoulders.

Lying on your back, put a bolster or a block between your shoulder
blades. Bring the soles of your feet together and allow your knees to
fall open. If that is too intense, just leave the legs long and resting
on the mat. Rest your arms by your sides. You will notice that if you
turn your palms to face up, that will increase the rotation in the
shoulders. You can either support your head or, if it feels good, allow
your head to drop back (this will stimulate the thyroid).

Prasarita Padottanasana (Wide-Legged Forward Fold)

Standing
with your legs wide, turn your toes inward slightly. Bring your hands to
meet behind your back and interlace your fingers. If that is not
accessible to you, hold a towel or a strap between your hands. With an
inhale, lift your chest and roll your shoulders back, extending the
hands backward. On the exhale bend forward, keeping your knees as bent
as you need. Allow gravity to draw your hands over your head. This
creates a lovely rotation in the shoulders. Hold this pose for at least
eight breaths.

Setu Bandhasana (Bridge Pose)

Lie
down on your back and bend your knees, feet hip width apart and on the
mat. As you breathe out, press your feet into the mat and raise your
buttocks, lifting the sternum towards the chin. Elongate the back of the
neck onto the floor and breathe deeply. Reach for your feet with your
hands, while rolling on to your shoulders. Keep your head still with
your nose pointing up and gently press the back of your head into the
mat, all the while lifting the hips.

You have the option of supporting yourself with your hands under your
hips, or on a block. As you breathe, and your body starts to open, try
to walk your shoulders closer to each other and reach your hands towards
your feet. This will help open the chest. Move your chest toward your
chin. This pose is also great for calming the mind.

Paschimottanasana (Supported Forward Bend)

This pose is meant to release and relax your neck. With your legs crossed,
sit on the floor in front of a chair. Place a pillow on the chair, and
rest your head on the pillow with your arms just under your forehead.
Gently stretch the neck muscles by dropping the chin to the chest.
Breathe in and out while resting your head on the pillow.

Gomukhasana (Cow Face Pose)

When we sit in front of a computer we round our shoulders and push our chins
forward. This pose is great for helping to correct our posture.

Sit up straight with your legs extended. Lift your left arm straight up,
palm turned inward and thumb pointing to the back of the room. Bend that
arm and reach it down between the shoulder blades. Now extend your right
arm to the side, thumb down and palm facing back. Bend the arm and bring
the elbow in to the side and reach up between the shoulder blades. Take
hold of the other hand. If this is a little hard, use a strap between
the hands. Lift your heart and press into your sit bones. Keep your chin
in neutral and the neck soft.

Savasana (corpse pose)

This pose is often used in meditation with the intention of complete
relaxation.

Support your body where you need to. Sometimes a bolster under the
knees, or between the shoulder blades, feels good.

Yoga off the mat

Once back in a seated position, come to the top of your sit bones and
gently draw your belly in. Lift your heart and allow your shoulders to
slide down your back. Keep your chin in neutral and allow for a good
distance between the ears and shoulders. This is also a good posture to
hold when you are standing or walking. Keep the tailbone gently tucked
under.

Remember to keep moving your body. It is joyful, gives us energy and
keeps us healthy.

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Amanda Sive

Amanda lives in Wellington, New Zealand and is a passionate yoga teacher. She believes that our bodies are designed to keep moving. Yoga, with all its benefits, is a wonderful way to keep healthy, fit, strong, balanced, peaceful and loving. Amanda started teaching yoga in 2007 and has grown through teaching and practising yoga as well as developing her teaching skills through teacher's courses and continuous development through reading, workshops and attending as many different classes as she is able to. She embraces the wisdom that comes with learning life through yoga. Her dream is to start her own studio - in Wellington or somewhere in the world where her heart may take her. Feel free to visit her Wordpress site or her Facebook page. Namaste
Website: Metta Yoga Life
Facebook: Metta Yoga